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Oct 11, 2013

Harvesting the #PowerofthePeanut

It’s been about a year and a half
since I picked up blogging as a hobby and what a journey it has been! What started out as a constructive way to sort out my thoughts and feelings about becoming a dad early in life has evolved into something so much more. With each and every blog post that I publish, I'm sharing a little bit of myself- my fears, hopes and special moments in my life- and the response has been overwhelming. I'm so thankful for all of the feedback that I constantly get from my readers; from regular parents to fellow bloggers. I like to think that as much as I try to "teach" through my personal stories, it has been returned back to me many times over in terms of the insights shared by others within our little community. When you really think about the fact that we are all individuals from all parts of the world, who are able to uplift each other by swapping stories and sharing knowledge, it's truly awe inspiring.

As silly as this is going to sound, I have to give credit to a little peanut who inspired me to write this reflection. Yes, I said a peanut and no, I didn't fall off my rocker. Mr. Peanut, the monocled mascot of Planters, has channeled his inner Tony Robbins and has become a motivational speaker. Don't believe me? Well, you can see for yourself:

The video is entertaining for sure, but if you crack open the shell (sorry couldn't resist the pun), you'll see, just like I did, there is a real, valuable message there.

As Mr. Peanut gets personal, he talks about how people doubted him and did not see his true potential to be an essential influence in the world. Despite the naysayers, he manages to become the successful (and delicious) peanut that he is today, simply by believing in himself and harvesting the "#PowerofthePeanut". I can totally relate to that message, especially when it comes to my writing. If you would have told my friends and family a couple of years ago that I would be helping people through my writing ability, they probably would have laughed at you. Although I would have considered myself a bit of the nerdy type in high school and in college (I used t read encyclopedias and watch documentaries for fun), that part of my personality was overshadowed by the the fact that I was also a multi-sport athlete during that time. As I matured, I thankfully was able to break away from that stigma and not only make good use of my talent, but also be proud to display what I have accomplished so far. As cliche as it sounds, I eventually came to an understanding that I cannot worry about what others think of me and my ability to embrace all my aspects of my persona, from nerdy to athletic, has overall made be a happier person.

So, yeah. Mr. Peanut and I are practically kindred spirits. Now, can someone direct me to the nearest monocle store?

Question: What type of obstacles did you have to overcome en-route to accomplishing your goals?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.